It’s a new year, with new plans and resolutions, the time of year where we think about changes we can make to ensure this year is the best one yet. Holly and ivy, evergreen plants, are symbols of new life, said by some to offer protection from entities that may wish us harm going into this new year. In their natural woodland home, they play other more complex roles. You may have noticed, that they too have been impacted byRead more
Posts filed in: Management
Counting Butterflies in the Bovey Valley
As we come to the end of the year, and with the butterfly survey season well behind us, there’s a chance to reflect on the survey season and to plan for next year. Simon Smith, who has written this end of season report, is one of six recorders who walks a set route, or “transect”, in the National Nature Reserve every week from April to the end of September. In this blog he gives a personal account of the endRead more
A ‘Light’ Introduction
Regular visitors to East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve (NNR) may have noticed a new face around the place. That’s me! My name is Emily Weeks and I am a placement student with Plantlife, but I will be spending quite a bit of time here at Yarner Wood. I spent much of my childhood outdoors, my family having a great appreciation for the natural world. Many a day was spent in National Trust gardens and walking trails though woods, which noRead more
Bumper Crop of Bovey Berries
As the days shorten and the light levels fall the woods settle down for winter dormancy, but this season is worthy of a woodland walk for the rainbow of colours and the hidden activity that takes place to put on this glorious display. The green of the summer is disappearing into the yellows, reds and browns of autumn as a prelude to the trees finally shedding their leaves and the berries remain for the duration – until they are pickedRead more
Reservoir Blogs …No.3
Armed with 500 plug plants and a small inflatable boat, aquatic specialists from Frog Environmental recently made a return visit to the reservoir in Yarner Wood to assess the success of the restoration works started in December 2018. It’s not often you see a small boat on the reservoir, but working on the water is all in a day’s work for this specialist team, and simply the best method for making checks on the newly installed floating islands. These vegetatedRead more
